


The Next Step

by JKlog



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Challenge Response, M/M, Sentinel Thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24101143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKlog/pseuds/JKlog
Summary: Written for the Sentinel Thursday Challenge 647 – attack.
Relationships: Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg
Kudos: 11





	The Next Step

Challenge 647 – attack

Title: The Next Step 

Author: JKlog

Category: Slash

Word Count: 1370

A/N: Thanks to Bluewolf for the wonderful beta reading.

Jim and Blair were at the Cascade Sports Arena, watching a Jag’s game. Orvelle Wallace had given them tickets, and they were in the sixth row. The guys were happy, commenting on the game in the half time.

“Look at these people, Jim!” said Blair, looking around. “The fans are happy!”

“The crowds get excited when their teams attack - even when they are winning.”

“Yeah, the Jags are playing really well, winning by twelve points! Let’s see how they do in the last quarter.”

“Do you want a hotdog, Chief?”

“Yeah, and a soda, please. Here’s the money.”

“Keep it. It’s on me. The tickets were free, after all.”

“Thanks, big guy. Next time, I’ll pay.”

Jim got up and headed for the hotdog stand. When he was in the queue, waiting, he heard a strange noise coming from outside the stadium. He had his hearing dialed down because of the background noise, but he heard it, nevertheless. It was a machine gun.

_It can’t be Kincaid again! He’s in a max security prison. I’ll better go see what’s happening. Go for Blair, first. I may need him._

He went where Blair was and explained, in low voice, what he heard. Then they went to the stadium door from where Jim had heard the sounds. Blair wondered if it was Kincaid again. _Please, don’t let it be him!_

A security guard stopped them.

“You can’t go out there. There’s a situation in the parking lot.”

Jim showed him his badge. “I’m Detective Jim Ellison and this is my partner, Blair Sandburg. What’s happening?”

“There’s a mad man with a machine gun. He’s shot several vehicles, but fortunately, no one has been hurt. Everybody was inside. The police haven’t arrived yet.”

“Thanks, Smithson,” said Jim, reading the guard’s name tag. “We’ll wait for the backup, but I want to go out there and see for myself if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, detective. Be careful, that man is out of his mind.”

The Sentinel and his partner went towards the parking lot. Jim showed his badge to the security guards that were there. They went a little away from them, so Jim could use his senses. At that moment, the man wasn’t shooting.

“Do you hear something, Jim?”

“He’s muttering something about an Andy. I have to get closer.”

“Andy? As in Andrea, like your cousin Rucker’s girlfriend? Or Andrew?”

“Who knows? Let’s get closer, Chief.”

The man chose a moment to fire a round in their direction. They ducked behind a car. The shots destroyed its front windshield.

“Jim, I think you should dial up your hearing to listen to what he says, but being careful of filtering out the sound of the shots, so they don’t hurt you.”

Jim listened.

_Andy, you should have stayed with me. Now that you’re gone, I have nothing to live for. But I’m going to take a lot of people with me. You’ll see. I know I’ll go to hell, but you’ll be sorry for leaving me._

“He’s planning to kill people, Chief. We have to stop him before the crowd goes out of the stadium.”

“And that’s in fifteen minutes! Do you think the police will arrive earlier?”

“They’re almost here. I can hear the sirens.”

Two minutes later, three patrol cars arrived. The officers got out the cars just when the man shot at them. The policemen ducked behind the patrol cars and answered the shots. A lot more damage was done to the vehicles around, but no one was injured.

Jim approached a patrol car, being careful, and asked for a loudspeaker. The officer in charge gave it to him. He knew Detective Ellison and trusted him to take them out of that mess. Then Jim went back near Blair and switched on the device.

“Listen to me. I know you're angry, but killing people won’t solve a thing. Give up, and we’ll give you all the help you need. Just put down the gun and give up.”

“NO! YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Jim looked at his partner, helpless. Blair reached for the loudspeaker.

“Let me, big guy. Maybe I can get through to him.

“Hey, man, I know you’re angry with Andy for leaving you, but doing harm to other people won’t make her, or him, go back to you. On the contrary, that will make her, or him, get more away from you. Don’t you see it? If you put down the gun and give up, I’ll talk to Andy. I promise.”

“SHUT UP! YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANDY!”

Blair shook his head. He switched off the loudspeaker.

“This man is absolutely delirious. He didn’t wonder how I knew about Andy, in the first place. I don’t think he can be talked out of what he's thinking of doing.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Five minutes. What are you going to do?”

“You keep talking to him, and I’ll get closer behind his back.”

“Be careful, please.” Blair tried to swallow the lump in his throat and switched the loudspeaker back on.

“Hey, listen to me. You can’t kill anybody. That won’t accomplish anything. And Andy will be mad at you. You have to stop hurting yourself.”

“I DON’T CARE! I DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING!”

“You don’t care about what Andy will think? She or he will despise you. You’ll be a murderer. Can you live with that?”

“I DON’T CARE! SHUT UP!”

At that moment, the crazy man felt something cold touch his nape. It was a gun.

“Don’t move,” said Jim Ellison, and the man let the machine gun fell to the floor. Jim put him the handcuffs and read him his rights. Then he took the man towards the police officers so that they could take him to the police station to be booked.

The game ended, and the crowd went out. Some of them found their cars destroyed, and were horrified to hear the explanation. A lot of people would have died if Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg hadn’t taken care of the situation.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

**Later, at the loft.**

The guys were sitting on the couch, drinking beer. They had called Simon and told him what had happened. Fortunately, he said they could do the report the next day.

“I hope that poor man receives psychiatric attention. He was delusional,” said Blair.

“He’ll be sent to Conover, I bet,” replied Jim.

“I wonder who Andy was. And whether it was a man or a woman.”

“He didn’t strike me as gay.”

Blair turned to stare at his best friend.

“Jim! No one has a sign on their forehead that reads ‘gay’ or ‘straight’. I didn’t know you judged people on stereotypes.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Chief. I wasn’t thinking. Besides, you and I look like regular guys, but…”

“But what?”

“But there are these rumors at the station. They say we’re a couple.”

“Yeah, I know. What do you think about that?”

Jim took his last swig of beer and contemplated the bottle in his hand.

“I don’t care. They can think whatever they like to. If they can’t see how straight you are…,” said Jim, after a moment.

“Er, about that…, I’m not completely straight. I’m bi.”

Now it was Jim’s turn to stare at his friend.

“What? I never smelled a man on you, only women.”

“That is because I only dated women since I came to live here. I knew you would notice and I was afraid you’d kick me out of the loft.”

“I’d never do that, Chief!”

They remained in silence for a few minutes, both of them processing what they had learned.

Blair broke the silence.

“What about you, Jim. Are you completely straight?”

“I used to think I was.”

“What happened to change your mind?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

Slowly, a grin blossomed on Blair’s face, as he realized what Jim was saying.

“I like where this conversation is going,” said Blair.

Their hands were only an inch from each other on the couch. Jim took his partner’s hand and they remained like that for a moment, thinking about the next step they’d take, with smiles on their faces.


End file.
